The atmosphere was surprisingly bittersweet as everyone gathered in Javir's main hall, bags packed and ready to head out.
With the Shadow Mages dealt with, there was no reason for everyone to stay here any longer. The mont itself, when Javir subtly but clearly kicked the newcors out had almost given lisa whiplash, though of course she understood why Javir was doing it.
It had been a temporary sanctuary, a place where they could regroup and lick their wounds, but now it was ti to move on.
lisa leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching as the others made their farewells.
[Man,] she sighed. [Feels like ages since everyone ca here, even though at most it was just a handful of weeks. Wow.]
Javir stood by, her expression a mix of sternness and sothing softer, sothing almost like fondness. She'd never admit it, but lisa could tell she was a little sad to see everyone go...
... Even if she was all but kicking them out.
Armia was the first to speak, stepping up to Javir with her father beside her.
"Thank you for letting us stay here, Javir. We owe you a lot," Armia said, her voice sincere. Her father nodded in agreent, his own eyes showing gratitude.
Javir waved a hand dismissively, though lisa could see the corner of her mouth twitch upward.
"Hey, don't ntion it. You were all good guests... Mostly," she added, shooting a pointed look at Isabella, who was currently balancing a bag on her head with a grin.
Isabella huffed, letting the bag fall into her hands.
"Hey, I was on my best behavior... Mostly." She winked at Javir, who just rolled her eyes.
Kimiko stepped forward next, her smile softer though still carrying that kinda lewd edge to it. Or maybe lisa was just horny.
"Thank you, Javir. Truly. You opened your ho to us when we had nowhere else to go."
Javir shifted awkwardly, clearly not used to this kind of gratitude.
"Yeah, well, I'm just glad I could help. Just... don't make a habit of needing my place as a hideout, alright?"
Kimiko chuckled, nodding.
"I'll do my best."
lisa tried not to think about how there could very well not be a need for Kimiko to co here again... ever, soon. She tried and failed.
Raven was the last to approach, her bag slung over her shoulder.
She paused for a mont before speaking, her grey eyes eting lisa's briefly.
[... OKAY, SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS IT WITH THIS GIRL LATELY!? EVERY TI I SEE HER IT'S LIKE I'M LTING!]
"I'm going to head back to the dorm," Raven said, taking lisa out of her thoughts. "I need so ti. To process everything. Not..." Clearly not used to speaking this much, she broke the eye contact and looked away. "Not in a bad way. I just... I feel like I might finally be able to let go. Completely."
lisa nodded, her chest tightening just a little.
"Yeah. I get it." She forced a smile, giving Raven a small salute. "Once I'm done with, uh... A few more things here, I'll be back around the academy before you know it."
Raven gave her a rare, genuine smile.
"I know you will."
The "and I'm looking forward to it" was left unsaid, but lisa still caught it. Or, she'd like to think she did.
With that, she turned and made her way to the door, her footsteps fading as she left the house.
Once everyone was gone, lisa let out a sigh, pushing herself away from the doorway and walking over to Javir.
The two stood in silence for a mont, watching as the others disappeared down the road, their figures growing smaller in the distance.
"You did good, l," Javir said, her voice unusually gentle. lisa glanced over, raising an eyebrow.
"Thanks," lisa said, her lips twitching into a smile. "ans a lot, coming from you."
Javir nodded, her eyes still on the road.
"A complint well-deserved. I just... I hope things can go back to normal now. For all of us."
lisa let out a small laugh.
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"Normal, huh? I gotta be honest with you, I'm not sure I even know what that ans anymore. But yeah, I'd like that too."
Javir turned to look at her, her expression serious.
"Just... Try to take care of yourself, alright? You're far good at getting into trouble, and I'd rather not see you end up in over your head."
lisa grinned, giving Javir a playful salute.
"I don't know that I'll be able to do that. I an, you know . Trouble's basically my middle na."
Javir rolled her eyes.
"Just be careful, l."
lisa nodded, her own smile softening.
"I will."
With that, she turned, making her way out of Javir's house and down the road.
lisa had sothing to do today, which she'd been waiting on given that she wanted to see everyone off.
---
The palace lood ahead.
The sun was high in the sky, the warmth of it washing over her as she walked, her thoughts already shifting to what lay ahead. She needed to see Zephyra. There was still one thing she needed help with, and if anyone could figure out a solution, it was her.
That, of course, was saving Kimiko.
The palace was actually busier than normal, guards moving to and fro, servants carrying out their duties. The change in managent probably had people feeling antsy, though it did help that, at least as far as lisa knew, Aria was a beloved figure.
lisa made her way through the halls, her footsteps echoing on the marble floors. She reached Zephyra's chambers, knocking on the door before pushing it open.
Zephyra looked up from the scroll she was reading, her expression brightening as she saw lisa.
"Well, well. Look who it is. Just when I thought I was going to have a lazy day," she teased, setting the scroll aside.
lisa smirked, stepping into the room.
"Please. As if you'd enjoy things like 'peace' and 'quiet' compared to, I dunno, having my incredibly charming self around~"
Zephyra chuckled, standing and walking over to her.
"Perhaps. I suppose I'm ready for so chaos again. I actually wanted to give you so actual lessons before I head back out on the road again, too."
"Oh? I'll hold you to that. But... there is sothing I need your help with."
Zephyra nodded.
"Alright. What is it?"
lisa took a deep breath, her gaze dropping to the floor for a mont before eting Zephyra's eyes.
"Kimiko. You know about her resurrection. The sa spell we used on the king." She paused, her voice growing softer. "We know it's not permanent. We couldn't save the king, but... I want to try for Kimiko. I don't want to give up without trying everything."
Zephyra was silent for a mont, her eyes thoughtful. She nodded slowly.
"I understand. If there is a way to make her resurrection permanent, and that is a very big 'if', it's certainly not going to be easy, lisa. You've already sowhat tampered with the natural order of things just making this spell to begin with, so who knows what could happen if we kept adding onto it. But... I'm willing to try."
lisa let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her shoulders relaxing.
"Thank you, Zephyra. Really. I know it's a long shot, but... I have to try."
Zephyra stepped closer, resting a hand on lisa's shoulder.
"You care about her. I get it. And I'll do everything I can to help. But we need to be careful. The kind of magic we're dealing with... it's powerful, and, well, it's Blood Magic. Naturally, it always cos with a price."
lisa nodded, her eyes determined.
"I know. Whatever it takes, I'm willing to pay it... I an, within reason."
"Good." Zephyra gave her a small, encouraging smile. "Then let's get to work. We'll start with what we know and go from there. Actually, even if we can't find a way to make her new life permanent, if perhaps there's a way to extend her ti, we'll try to find it."
lisa felt a surge of hope, her heart lifting.
[Maybe there's still a chance.] She grinned, her confidence returning.
"Alright, then. Let's see what kind of magic we can cook up."
Zephyra laughed, shaking her head.
"Always the optimist. Co on, troublemaker. Let's see if we can cheat death one more ti."
---
What followed was several hours of experintation with various unfortunate insects, several used and discarded scrolls, and dozens of flirtatious statents peppered throughout.
By the end, they hadn't *really* made progress, but Zephyra seed optimistic.
"Co back tomorrow," Zephyra told lisa. "Don't get discouraged. I think we might be able to work sothing out."
And so, lisa walked out.
As she moved through the palace, she noticed how the looks she received had changed greatly since her first visit. It wasn't exactly enough to say people *liked* her now, but...
She was tolerated, it seed.
[Progress, I guess.]
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